NEW YORK (Reuters) -Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka thumped unseeded Spaniard Cristina Bucsa 6-1 6-4 on Sunday to seal her return to the U.S. Open quarter-finals, ramping up her bid for a first Grand Slam title this year after defeats in two major finals.
The world number one, beaten in both the Australian and French Open finals, enjoyed her most comfortable win in New York this year as she inched closer to becoming the first woman since Serena Williams (2012-14) to win consecutive U.S. Open titles.
"I was super happy with the straight-sets win. The second set was a little tricky, but I'm glad that I was able to close it without dropping my serve," Sabalenka told reporters.
"I felt really in control and then there was a really long game when I was 4-2 up (in the second set), and I felt I should have broken serve. She played some great points in that game.
"Yeah, maybe I got a little frustrated because I didn't close out that game, because I was so close. Overall, I'm happy with my performance."
An early break in the opening set helped Sabalenka seize the initiative and she built up a 5-1 advantage with a huge overhead smash at the net before comfortably wrapping up the set in only 27 minutes with her rattled opponent looking short of answers.
The 27-year-old top seed, a three-times Grand Slam champion, used all her experience to quell a suddenly resurgent Bucsa with a thunderous forehand winner for a crucial break in the fifth game of the second set.
Bucsa then waved her arms as if to conduct the roaring crowd at Louis Armstrong Stadium having held for 3-4 following a tense game lasting more than 10 minutes, but there was no stopping Sabalenka as she easily secured the victory from there.
Sabalenka, who has now reached at least the quarter-finals in the last 12 Grand Slams that she has competed in, will await the winner of Sunday's late encounter between Elena Rybakina and Marketa Vondrousova.
"I'm super proud. I think that's an incredible achievement," Sabalenka said.
"I think the key is balancing on-court and off-court life. I've done a great job balancing really hard work and also great recovery and (having) some fun times outside the court.
"That's been the key. I feel like I'm really enjoying my journey and my life. I think that's the main thing."
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in New York; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
